Lamp focusing



Nov. 15, 192 7.

H. c. FOSTER LAMP FOCUSING Filed Jan. 29 1925 Fig. 4.

INVEN TOR fMQ/QY C R3722 Patented Nov. 15, 1927,

UNITED STATES JPATENT OFFICE.

HAEEY o. EosTEE,-oE CONNERSVILLE; INDIA A; AssI NoE, BYDIREGT AND MEsNE ASSIGNMENTS, 0E ONE-HALF TO INDIANA LAMP conroRATIoN, or CONNERSVILLE, INDIAN A coEro'EATIoN-oE DELAWARE, AND oN ALE To GENERAL MoTons coEPoEATIoN, or DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A conronATIoN or DELAWARE.

LAMP Eoc usnve.

Application filed January This invention relates to lamp focusing and'is'herein shown'as embodied in a focus ing device for adjusting the lamp of an auto mobile headlight.

On automobile headlights, .it is common practice to provide lamp focusing devices but these cannot be attached, as a complete assembled unit, to a lamp structure; they require the assembly of some parts from inside the reflector or casing and of others from outside the reflector or casing.

One of the objects of the invention, therefore, is to provide a focusing device that can be completely assembled and then, without removing any parts, attached to a casing or the like from one side thereof. Another object is to provide a focusing device which can be very quickly attached to or removed from the lamp structure and this without operating any screws, bolts or other special fastenings.

To these ends and also to improve gen erally upon devices of the character indicated my invention consists in the various matters hereinafter describedand claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in vertical section, of a headlight.

Figure 2 is a rear View, broken away.

Figure 3 is a central vertical section.

Figure 4 is a rear view of a portion of the casing with the focusing device removed.

Referring to the drawings, the numerallO indicates a reflector with a sleeve 12 extending rearwardly from its middle portion and all enclosed in a lamp casing 14. The sleeve 12 slidably receives a lamp socket 16 carrying the usual lamp bulb 18. The sleeve 12 is slotted on its under side at which point a right angular plate 20 is attachedto the lamp socket 16. One angle of the plate is threaded to receive an adjusting screw 22 having an enlargement 24. preferably an integral collar, outside of which the screw is slotted, as at 26, so it can be turned.

On a wall member 28,which might bethe reflect-or but is preferably the rear wall of the casing 14:. is an opening 30 of a size to allow the enlargement or collar 24 to pass. The opening can be conveniently formed by cutting a slot in the wall and then extruding the metal in opposite directions from the 2931925. seriar'No. 5,531.

body of the wall. This forms,*adjacent to "the opening, two'projections '32 and 84, the "first affording a'seator abutment for'the inner sideof the enlargement or collar24 and the other covering the upper part of the collar and forming an abutment and shield for its outer side. The projections prevent axial movement of the screw 22 but allow its rotation. A semicircular edge 36 on the projection 32 conforms to an unthreaded portion of the screw 22 in front of the enlargement or collar 24.

Surrounding the screw 22 is a coil spring 38 abutting at one end against the plate 20 and abutting at the other end against a dished washer 40. The washer 40 has its concave side facing rearwardly to fit against the front face of the extruded projection 32, thus holding the screw and attached parts yieldingly in a substantially horizontal position and also furnishing means which would prevent undesired axial movement of the screw without using the projection 34.

The focusing device,-comprising, for example, the screw 22, washer 40, spring38, plate 20, and socket 16 is assembled as a unit and attached to the casing before the reflector or the lamp bulb is applied. The screw 22 is tilted downwardly towards the front in order that the collar 24 may pass through the opening and engage behind the projection 82. During this operation, the washer 40 will yield against the tension of spring 38 to permit'the projection 82 to come between the collar and the washer. The re 7 flector is then inserted in the casing, the sleeve 12 being slipped over the socket 16 and centering the latter. The lamp bulb is then placed. in the socket.

I claim:

1. In a device of the character described, in combination, a reflector, a lamp movable with respect to the reflector, a rotary lamp adjusting member connected to the lamp and having an enlargement, a lamp casing, and offset projections on the casing detachably engaging axially spaced sides of said enlargement, to hold said lamp adjusting member against axial movement.

2. The combination of a lamp casing having a slot formed in a wall thereof, the material of the casing at one side of the slot being offset from the material at the other side o1 the slot, and a rotatable lamp adjusting member mounted in said slot and provided with means for engaging the adjacent surfaces of the opposite edges of the slot to hold the member against axial movement.

3. in the combination as defined in claim 2, a spring pressed clamping device mounted on said rotatable lamp adjusting member adapted to yieldingly engage the inner surface of the casing to hold the adjusting member in adjusted position.

4. The combination of a lamp casing, a reflector in the casing, a lamp adjustable in the reflector; adjusting means for the lamp comprising an adjusting screw, a projection extending from a wall of said casing and forming therewith a socket accessible from the interior of the casing for receiving the head of said screw to hold it in position, said screw being normally engaged with said projection from the front of the casing, and said casing being provided with an aperture aligned with said screw to permit access to the head thereof for manipulation.

5. The combination as defined in claim i, and yieldable means mounted on said adjusting screw for engaging the inner wall of the lamp casing to prevent outward axial movement of said screw.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

HARRY c FOSTER. 

